They are an icon of transit service in the United Kingdom and soon double decker buses will be on the roads of Metro Vancouver.
Later this year TransLink will test two double decker buses as part of a pilot project on longer distance commuter routes.
The test buses are being provided at no cost to TransLink by the manufacturer.
READ MORE: TransLink adding 105,000 service hours starting Sept. 4
The buses have seating for 80, whereas the current highway coaches seat 47 passengers.
Currently some of the commuter routes face overcrowding and some passengers are forced to stand long distances. In July, TransLink released their ridership numbers for the first half of 2017; which showed a 5.7 per cent increase compared to last year. The more than 200 million boardings would put them on track for an unprecedented 400 million trips.
The routes being tested are located in Delta and Surrey.
The two-month pilot project will evaluate customer experience and operational efficiency.
Highway coaches are nearing their retirement and TransLink thinks the double decker buses could be a good replacement.
If all goes well, the plan is to buy five of the buses with a project cost of $6.3 million.
~ with files from CKNW
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